1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a binding for snowboards or the like and in particular to such binding, having a base plate, which is to be arranged on the top side of the snowboard or the like, and a boot-retaining means which is arranged on said base plate, and having a circular flange plate which serves for retaining the base plate on the snowboard or the like, and which flange-plate can be positioned on a circular opening of the base plate and can be connected fixedly to the snowboard or the like, a flange-plate border region which projects beyond the border of the circular opening retaining the base plate in a positively and/or frictionally locking manner and releasingly holding or bracing it on the snowboard or the like.
The invention also relates to the "kinematically reversed" arrangement, in which the base plate is circular and the flange plate is annular, such that a border on the inner circumference of the flange plate projects beyond the outer circumferential border of the base plate, retains the latter in a positively and/or fixedly locking manner and braces it on the snowboard or the like.
2. Discription of the Prior Art
Bindings of the type specified in the introduction are known and are commercially available. The circular flange plate may be fastened on the snowboard in different positions offset relative to one another in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the snowboard, the base plate being clamped fixedly between the top side of the snowboard and a flange-plate border region which engages over a border zone of the circular opening of the base plate. Mating toothing arrangements on the mutually facing end sides of the overlapping border regions of the flange plate and circular opening of the base plate mean that it is also possible for the position of the base plate to be secured by positive locking with the flange plate.
The advantage of this design is that, for the positioning of the flange plates, all that has to be taken into consideration is the desired distance between snowboarder's feet on the snowboard and the positions of the mid-foot regions. The respective rotary setting of the base plate, i.e. the angle position of the longitudinal axis of the base plate and/or of the boot relative to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard, can be set virtually as desired--the fineness of the setting being predetermined by the interengaging toothing arrangements on the flange plate and base plate--before the base plate is braced between the top side of the snowboard and the flange plate.
At the same time, account is taken of the fact that subsequent changing of the rotary position of the base plate is desired comparatively often, whereas changing of the position of the flange plates is only necessary or desirable very occasionally. In order to change the rotary position of the base plate, all that is required is to loosen the respective flange plate to the extent where the frictional and/or positive locking between the two plates is released.
Nevertheless, it is desirable, in particular for snowboards which are used for hiring out to a large number of snowboarders in quick succession, for it to be even easier to change the rotary position of the base plate.